1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an apparatus and method for adjusting the height of a basketball goal assembly and, more particularly, to a novel counterbalanced basketball adjustment system having a telescoping extension arm that is adjustable between a plurality of positions by a push button mechanism which facilitates convenient positioning of a basketball goal in relation to a playing surface.
2. The Relevant Technology
Basketball is an increasingly popular sport in the United States and abroad. There are many cities, counties and other associations that sponsor recreational and instruction leagues where people of all ages can participate in the sport of basketball. Today there are organized leagues for children as young as five and six years old. Accordingly, it is not surprising that more and more people are mounting basketball goals on their property.
The problem with many basketball goals is that the goal is usually fixed at a certain height above the playing surface. That height is generally the standard basketball goal height of ten (10) feet. Younger children, however, simply don't have the strength to make a basket at the general standard height of ten feet. Many children, accordingly, may develop improper shooting skills in order to throw a basketball toward a goal that is too high. Oftentimes, children get frustrated with the sport and give it up. Other people may want to experience the feeling of dunking a basketball but are too short to do so. To this end, fixed-height basketball goals make such an experience impossible for many people.
Many attempts have been made to design a basketball goal which is adjustable to several different heights. Adjustable basketball goals allow people of all ages and sizes to enjoy the sport by adjusting the basketball goal to a height above the playing surface that is convenient for them. Some of these basketball goals employ a deformable parallelogramic linkage design that connects the basketball backboard to a rigid support member such as a pole. In operation, these prior art deformable parallelogram linkages are generally lockable to secure the basketball goal at a predetermined height above the playing surface.
One disadvantage of prior art adjustable basketball goal assemblies is that the locking mechanism or adjustment is positioned within or near the parallelogram linkage, which is commonly located well above the playing surface. When a user desires to adjust the height of the basketball goal, the user is typically required to use a ladder, stool or the like to reach the adjustment mechanism and mechanically "unlock" the basketball goal. As appreciated, this creates the potential danger of the user falling.
Other types of adjustable basketball goals have adjustment systems that are accessible with the use of a rod or pole such as, for example, a broomstick handle. Oftentimes, there is no such adjustment device readily available. The user must therefore suffer the inconvenience of finding a suitable implement, or simply choose not to adjust the height of the basketball goal above the playing surface.
Other prior art adjustable basketball goals may be configured such that the entire weight of the basketball goal bears directly on the adjustment mechanism. One disadvantage of this design is that it takes more strength and patience to adjust than children or young adults typically possess. This is unfortunate because it is usually small children who have the greatest need for adjusting the basketball goal.
To overcome this problem, many basketball goal assemblies were developed that provided an adjustment mechanism having a heavy counterbalancing beam to counteract the weight of the basketball goal. Such adjustment systems are generally very bulky, expensive to manufacture and transport, and are typically difficult to assemble.
Another disadvantage of many prior art adjustable basketball goal assemblies is that the adjustment mechanism has a locking member which is separate and distinct from the adjustment mechanism. Accordingly, two hands are needed to simultaneously unlock the lock, adjust the adjustment mechanism and then lock the locking member in a predetermined position. In addition, many adjustable basketball goal assemblies comprise prior art locking and adjustment mechanisms that are complex in design, requiring a large number of working components in order to simultaneously and easily adjust and lock the basketball goal system in one of its plurality of configurations. As appreciated, this type of design increases the cost and complexity of manufacturing the basketball goal assembly.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that it would be an advancement in the art to provide an adjustable basketball goal assembly that can be adjusted by a user standing at ground level without the use of a ladder or a pole. It would be a further advancement to provide such an adjustable basketball goal assembly that could be adjusted quickly and easily using a single hand of a user. Finally, it would be another advancement in the art to provide such an adjustable basketball goal assembly that is simple in design, cost effective to manufacture and transport, and easy to assemble.